Forbidden
by tiffywiffyfluffykitty
Summary: Natsu and Lucy, two lovers who aren't supposed to be, but yet still stay together despite the law. How far is Lucy willing to go to save Natsu? Will Jude ever let them be together?
1. Chapter 1

**Please vote on my poll! Because of my overwhelming schoolwork, I decided to work on only one ongoing fanfiction this entire school year so this is really important to me! Poll closes soon. I haven't decided on a date yet, but most likely somewhere around the middle or the end of November! Please vote! You'll find it on my profile page.**

**Anyways, I apologize for any grammar or punctuation mistakes in this fanfiction as well as OOCness, or anything that might aggravate you. Please, please, please review! Read my other fanfictions as well, please! **

**Thank you :3**

* * *

**Forbidden**

He quickly scaled the wall, peering over the top as his onyx eyes scanned the darkened garden before he hauled himself over the vine-covered stone and dropped into the shadows.

He dashed through the trees towards the huge building, avoiding patches of moonlight and dropped leaves, stepping instead on tufts of grass and soft piles of dirt as he sprinted. As he reached the pale white walls, he glanced around for any convenient entrances. Finding one, he grabbed onto the ledge and swung himself up; leaping from ledge to ledge until he reached the window he was aiming for.

The person inside was still awake, the candle still lit, bathing the room in a dim light. As he watched, an unseen hand took up a candle snuffer and extinguished the light.

He waited for a full twenty minutes before silently unlocking the window and sneaking in. A gust of wind blew into the room, making his scarf swirl around his neck. The figure on the bed shivered and he quickly closed the window.

"I was expecting you," a soft voice said.

Natsu strode over to the bed and looked down. "You always do, Luce."

She sat up in her bed. "Why do you keep risking yourself? You know what would happen if you were caught."

He grinned. "Nah, they'll never catch me. Nothing's gonna keep me away from you."

Lucy blushed. "That's why I love you." She crawled to the edge of the bed and hugged him, breathing in his scent of smoke and charred wood, which was strangely comforting to her despite the pungent and sharp burn in her nose from the scent. She suddenly frowned. "But still, what if they catch you? You know my father forbade dragons in Fiore and it's already great of Fairy Tail to hide you, Wendy, and Gajeel, but if they catch you—"

Natsu kissed the tip of her nose. "Jeez, Luce, you worry too much. I'll be fine. And I told you already: nothing's ever gonna keep me away from you."

She sighed and pulled him towards her. He kicked off his sandals and snuggled into the bed with her. She always did have the most comfortable bed he'd ever slept in. They lay together in the dark, breathing each other's scent.

"It's been three years since I've first met you," Lucy whispered. Natsu hummed a response deep in his chest.

"I've always wanted to meet the others," she sighed. "But I've never had the courage to step out of the palace."

"You know I could always take you out," Natsu said.

"But I would be too scared to go." They were silent until Natsu spoke.

"Would it have been better if I wasn't a dragon?"

"No," she replied immediately.

"I mean, dragons are forbidden and whoever heard of a dragon and a princess together?"

"I don't care," Lucy said firmly. "You know how nothing can keep you away from me? The feeling's mutual here. All I want is to be with you for the rest of my life."

Natsu chuckled and nuzzled her throat, making her gasp. "Then come to Fairy Tail with me."

"I can't! It's forbidden for me to step even one foot off the palace grounds!"

"It's forbidden to fall in love with a dragon. Be reasonable, Luce, you're not even happy here, right?"

She fell silent. He was right. Her father practically ignored her day after day ever since Queen Layla died and everyone treated her with courtesy and respect, none of the familiarity and friendliness she craved. Only Natsu gave her that, and more.

Natsu knew he was winning. "At Fairy Tail we're all family. We can be your real family, Luce."

When she still didn't reply, he sighed and held her closer. "Just try to get some sleep, alright?" He kissed her hair. "Love you, Luce."

Lucy snuggled into his chest. "Love you too, Natsu."

* * *

The next morning at dawn, Natsu kissed Lucy's sleeping face goodbye before slipping out the window. What he didn't expect was the battalion of soldiers waiting for him.

"Natsu Dragneel, Fire Dragon of Fairy Tail, you are under arrest for trespassing onto the palace grounds and fraternizing with the High Princess of Fiore," Lahar of the Palace Rune Knights spoke. Doranbolt stood next to him, silently watching over the arrest so that no one would overhear them.

"Let me go," Natsu growled, preparing to use his fire magic until a pair of anti-magic handcuffs slapped over his wrists.

"Do not attempt to use magic," Lahar said coldly. "You will be taken to the King now. Any attempt to escape and you'll be sure Fairy Tail would pay the consequence."

This made Natsu stop struggling. The Knights roughly kicked his legs out from under him and dragged him towards the throne room.

* * *

Lucy was woken quite abruptly by Virgo while her other maid, Aries, dug through her immense closet and pulled out a beautiful forest green dress along with golden heels.

"Quickly, Princess, you have an audience with the King," Virgo urged and shoved Lucy into the bathroom for a quick shower and to brush her teeth. As soon as she was done, Virgo set about drying her hair and pinning it up into a loose bun with her crown perched on top of her head. Aries helped her get dressed and shoved golden bracelets onto her wrists as well as a necklace with a tiny golden key given to her by her mother and together, the maids rushed Lucy to the throne room.

A herald announced her and she strode in, slightly irritated at the earliness of the hour. "What is it now, Father? I've scarcely woken up—" She stopped abruptly and her eyes widened as she saw that her father wasn't the only one in the room.

"Ah, my dear Lucy, I assume you know of this illegal beast, Natsu the Salamander?" King Judo's voice was malicious and commanding.

Natsu was on his knees between Lucy and her father, a white cloth tied over his mouth and his arms bound behind him by thick black chains. Two stern-looking guards stood watch behind him with their swords loosed in their sheaths, ready to be used at a second's notice.

Natsu quickly shook his head slightly at her so she replied, stumbling slightly in her shock, "I don't believe I do, Father."

"Oh really? Then could you explain to me why he was caught sneaking out of your room this morning?"

"I do not know."

"Don't lie to me," her father snarled. "I know that you and that thing are having an illegal affair despite the law. Explain yourself!"

Lucy was still staring into Natsu's eyes. _What should I do? Should I tell the truth or a lie? _Her eyes asked him.

His eyes replied back. _Whatever happens, be strong._ And she knew what to do.

She straightened and her voice rang out, clear and bright. "Yes, Father, I am having a forbidden affair with Natsu and nothing would make me change that. You try to control me with your laws and your rules, but not anymore. I decide how I live my life now and that is being with Natsu. If being the Princess of Fiore means that I can never live my life without him then I refuse to be the princess." She was shouting by the end of her speech and everyone was staring at her with shock, especially her father and Natsu.

"You dare disobey me?!" King Judo thundered.

"I will continue to disobey you until Natsu is free!" Lucy countered.

"Then he will never be free! He will be executed by sundown of the next day and you will never interact with scum like that ever again! Now take that lowlife from my sight and take the princess to her room! She is not to come out until I say so!"

"NO!" Lucy shrieked, but it was too late. She saw Natsu stare with horrified eyes, but made no move to escape or struggle. "Natsu! Why aren't you doing anything?!"

"I—" But he was cut off as a Knight kicked him in the stomach, knocking him unconscious.

"NATSU!" Lucy screamed. Two Knights grabbed her arms and hauled her, kicking and screaming, out of the throne room to her rooms and threw her in. Virgo and Aries quickly went to her side.

"Natsu! We have to save Natsu! Help him!" Lucy screamed hysterically to her maids.

"Lucy-sama, please, you must calm down," Virgo said.

"I refuse! You have to help him! Don't let him die! Help…" She trailed off as Aries clamped a damp cloth over her mouth and nose and she instantly began to feel drowsy, her vision blurring as Virgo and Aries hovered over her anxiously.

"I'm sorry, Lucy-sama…"

* * *

Natsu woke up in a damp, dark cell, chained to the wall. A tiny barred window let a modicum of light into the cell and through it he could see that it was sunset. The sky was stained orange and red like his flames and was just as bright.

_I wonder how Lucy's doing_, he thought before realizing that he will never see her again. He was set to die by this time tomorrow and he couldn't even warn Fairy Tail about what was happening, although they would've figured out by now that something had gone amiss. _I hope they're going to be alright. And Lucy too_

There was a clank and a tiny door at the bottom of the cell door opened and a tray of food was pushed in. There was a hunk of stale bread and cold soup. Natsu devoured that hungrily and sat back against the slimy wall. _I miss you, Luce._

* * *

Lucy was sprawled on her bed, dully staring up at the canopy, not moving. She felt emotionally drained, exhausted, and defeated. _How did they know that Natsu was seeing me? Isn't there any way to save him? Unless…_ She sat bolt upright. There was a way. Only…Here, she bowed her head.

_It must be done. At least Natsu would be alive and well,_ she convinced herself and hauled herself off the bed towards the door where a Knight was standing guard outside. "Get Father," she commanded. "I wish to make a compromise with him."

* * *

The next morning, Natsu was surprised to see the guards retrieving him from his cell after his breakfast. They led him to a small office where a man unshackled him and the Knights led him to the castle gates and pushed him outside. "Never come here again," they told him sternly and went back inside.

Puzzled, Natsu stared at them. _I was set free? I didn't have to die?_ Elated, he ran towards the spot where he usually climbed over to see Lucy, but was dismayed to see guards standing every three feet along it.

Frustrated, he puffed angrily and sat down in the shadows of a huge tree to wait for an opportunity to cross over.

* * *

Lucy sat blearily in her room, staring dully at the piece of embroidery she was currently working on. _It's just you and me from now on,_ she thought.

She sat down and began to start sewing once more, waiting for Natsu.

* * *

It was dusk when Natsu finally found his chance. He quickly scaled the wall and burst into Lucy's bedroom with a hushed whisper of, "Luce!"

Said girl was lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling with her eyes closed. Fearing for the worst, Natsu dashed over to her and began to shake her. "Luce! Wake up!"

Her eyes snapped open. "What the hell, Natsu?!"

"Sorry." He sheepishly moved to sit next to her on the bed as she resumed lying down. "I got released today for some reason."

She smiled. "You're not going to die anymore."

He frowned. Something wasn't right. "Y'know, I thought you'd be a lot more happier about that but you're not."

She sighed. "Sorry."

"So are you gonna tell me what's wrong?"

She shook her head and Natsu fell silent, sighing. They sat in a slightly uncomfortable silence for several minutes until Lucy sat up, staring down at her legs as if they have suddenly became the single most important thing to her in her life.

"Natsu? I have something to tell you."

"Uh- huh?"

"I…" she took a deep breath. "I don't think we should be doing this anymore."

"What? Why not?" The shock and hurt in his voice nearly made her want to break, but she kept going.

"It's too dangerous. Besides, you were just a crush. I found someone else today and he treated me better than you ever did."

Natsu seemed to accept her bald lie, for his face darkened and flames began to lick up his arms. "Who is he?"

"Why would I tell you?" she scoffed. "Now go away, Natsu. I don't ever want to see you again."

There was silence and then Natsu's voice turned pleading and heartbroken. "Tell me this is a lie, Luce. Please."

She turned away, fighting the tears. "Go. Go back to Fairy Tail and never come here again." When she sensed that he didn't move, her voice hardened. "What do you not understand? You were never the one for me, alright? Dragons and princess are never supposed to be together and they are never going to be together, especially you and me. I've finally found my prince and now you are the unwanted one so just go away."

Silence once more. After a while, she turned around and saw that Natsu had gone. The tears poured down her cheeks and she wailed and collapsed on her bed, shoulders shaking. She curled into a ball and sobbed, wiping her tears and snot on her bed sheets, not caring if she got them dirty. After several long hours, she fell into exhausted sleep, stray tears still running down the corners of her eyes.

* * *

Natsu ran, not caring where he went, just feeling the hot wet liquid sliding down his cheeks and the pain as branches whipped past his body, drawing scores of tiny cuts that oozed beads of blood. His mind took him back to a time when he had visited Lucy:

_"We're always going to be together, right Luce?" he asked, holding her in his arms as she read a book._

_"Hm? Of course we are, silly," she'd laughed and kissed him._

He roared with agony and the flames shot from his body, burning everything in his wake as he ran away.

* * *

The next few days were a blur for Lucy as she sat in her room, staring out the window, not getting up at all to relieve herself, eat, or drink. She never smiled and the glow had gone from her eyes, replacing them with a dullness that terrified the maids whenever they tried to coax her into eating.

She didn't move, didn't respond to their attempts. It was as if she died, if not for the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.

"It's because of the Dragon," she heard the maids whisper to one another. "She pines for him and because of that, she's wasting away."

"What a shame, she used to be so happy."

"Now she's dying. It's all his fault."

"Hush. It's not anyone's fault in this tragedy."

They left and Lucy succumbed into the blankness that overtook her day after day.

* * *

"Natsu, you should eat," Wendy begged, holding a plate piled with food to him.

He didn't respond, but stared at the ground like he usually did, curling up in a ball. Ever since he got back to Fairy Tail, he had sat in a corner staring at the ground without moving. Everyone was worried about him, but no one disturbed him, knowing how he was like in this mood.

"Alright…," Wendy said and padded away, looking over her shoulder at him.

Cana was trying to see his fate through her cards, but was having no success. With a cry of exasperation, she scattered her cards in the air and turned back to her barrel of booze. "I can't see his future."

"Isn't it that princess' fault?" Gray snapped. "She was the one who broke his heart."

"Didn't you think that she probably didn't have a choice?" Erza asked, taking a bite out of her cake. "What if something happened and she had to let him go? What if this was as painful for her as Natsu?"

Gray snorted with derision, but there was a note of doubt in his voice.

Nasu started to ponder Erza's words in his numb mind. Could it be true? What if Luce really didn't mean those words and only aid them because of her bastard of a father told her to?

Hope began to rise in him, but it was squashed down with doubt and fear and sadness.

No… that could never happen… it was impossible.

But what if?

* * *

Lucy clutched herself as she lay curled up in her bed, shivering. She was so cold, she was always so cold when he was gone now.

"Natsu," she whimpered, missing his warmth and his presence, his humor and loving smiles, the way his arms would wrap around her shoulders and waist when they kiss…

She let out a dry sob and turned her face into the rumpled sheets. All her tears had dried out, she was hungry and thirsty, but she lost her appetite, no matter what foods and drinks the servants brought in. Her father even strode in once and tried to force her into eating, but she threw up on the floor, her stomach not able to hold in anything.

She knew she was dying.

How much longer can she hold out? A year? A month? A week? A day?

Whatever it is, she knew she won't survive much longer.

The cold was getting to her, no matter how many blankets she piled upon herself, or the thick winter coats she donned. The cold will kill her first, she was sure.

And Natsu won't be there when she was gone.

* * *

Erza stood in front of him, yelling something that his ears couldn't make out. All noise blurred together now, so much that he thought he was going deaf: he couldn't tell one noise from the other.

The redhead shouted, but it sounded garbled and hollow. Everything did, Wendy's pleading voice, Gajeel's mocking yet sympathetic voice, Mira's coaxing voice, the Master's demanding voice, everything.

He wanted to hear her laugh again. That was the sound he loved the most in the world: her laugh. It was joyful and full of mirth and humor. Just one note of it and it brightened his whole day.

Romeo was there, sitting next to him, speaking to him in a soft tone. He never lost hope that Natsu would get better, whether it was a year or ten years.

Erza sighed when she saw that Natsu wasn't listening to her and went away back to the comfort of her strawberry cake, not knowing what else to do to snap the Dragon out of his depression.

Gajeel and Wendy watched worriedly. It's been nearly a month since Natsu and Princess Lucy have been estranged and there were no signs of Natsu getting better. Instead, he seemed to be getting worse.

A knock sounded on Fairy Tail's door. Mira opened it to find Loke, a well-known friend of Princess Lucy's and also an ambassador for the King.

"I'm here for Natsu Dragneel," he said and instantly, everyone got into a defensive position.

"Why?" Gray demanded, coming to stand nose to nose with the other man.

Loke's expression was heartbreaking and more than one felt sympathy towards him when he said in a broken whisper, "Lucy's dying."

In his corner, Natsu's head shot up. Somehow, he had heard that and in doing so, his heart broke even more. Lucy was dying?

"Why?" He rasped out and lurched towards Loke, shocking many. "Why's Luce dying?"

"She made a deal with the King. If he canceled your death sentence and let you go free, she'll cut all ties with you forever. Obviously that's not turning out so good. She hasn't eaten for days and—" Loke shuddered. "The healers say she might not live for another week." He got down on his knees and bowed before Natsu. "Please… save her."

* * *

It got dark now. She felt weak and tired and cold, but all she could think about was Natsu. She couldn't see for some reason, but all she saw was her Dragon.

This time, she was really dying.

And she thought she did die when she started feeling warm. Something warm picked her up and carried her somewhere while something hot and wet hit her face and arms, warming her even more.

She must be dead, if she felt this warm.

"Luce." Something was calling her. "Luce, open your eyes. It's me. It's Natsu."

Natsu? No, that couldn't be right. Natsu was gone. She sent him away, for his own safety. Why was he dead? He couldn't be dead, he was supposed to live! Did her father break his promise?

"Luce, don't die on me. Please. Don't die." His voice was breaking into tears and somewhere, her dull heart restarting once again.

She must not be dead, if Natsu was telling her not to die. And Natsu couldn't be dead, if he was crying over her.

She opened her eyes to find his staring into hers, tears streaming down his face. "I'm not dead," she murmured with wonder.

He sobbed and held her to him, his face in the crook of her neck. "I thought you died," he gasped through his tears.

"Why are you here?" she whispered. "I thought you hated me."

Natsu shook his head, his spikes ticking her cheek. "No. I'll never hate you."

"But… I lied to you. I sent you away."

"I forgive you for that." And then his mouth was on hers, warming her lips, and she kissed him back, frail arms lifting up and wrapping around him. After a minute of this, he drew away and rested his forehead on hers. "You're a mess, Luce. I found you lying on the floor and I thought—" He gulped and held her tightly again.

"That's weird, I don't remember falling. Maybe I fell when I got that hallucination of you standing by my window smiling at me and I reached out to you," Lucy mused.

Natsu sighed. "You're weird, Luce."

They held each other again for a very long time. Long enough for the sun to peek up over the distant mountains and they smiled, knowing that this time, they were going to stay together for good. As soon as they both had this epiphany, their stomachs rumbled loudly.

"I'm hungry," Lucy said with surprise. "I haven't been hungry for a while: I threw up everything."

"I'm starving," Natsu groaned. He sniffed and his nose wrinkled with disgust. "We need a bath."

Lucy laughed and he smiled again for the first time in weeks and kissed her again. "Alright," she said, still chuckling. "Bath then food, alright?"

"You can go first."

"Alright." She stood and slowly walked over to her dresser, stumbling a bit. "I'm still not used to walking yet," she said apologetically."

Natsu stood and went to her side, helping her as she unearthed a shirt and comfortable pajama shorts from a drawer and slowly walked to the bathroom.

"Do you need any help?" He asked and she looked at him until he realized what he was saying. "I-I mean, if you need anything, call for me," he stammered and staggered away, blushing hotly.

She ducked into the bathroom, blushing as well and quickly stripped off her dirty, sweaty clothes before climbing into the shower stall and turning on the water, standing under the hot spray with a sigh of contentment before lathering her hair with lavender and chamomile shampoo and conditioner and washing that off before washing her body with ivory soap.

Thirty minutes later, she felt as good as new, although ravenously hungry.

After pulling on her clothes with her hair in a towel, she stepped out of the bathroom to find Natsu already pigging out on a cart of food that a servant had most likely rolled into the room.

"Natsu, go take a shower," she ordered, playfully pushing him away and seizing up plates of smoked salmon, lamb chops, and spare ribs that were glazed a rich clear amber-brown before he could get his hands on them. "I'm hungry."

Natsu stood and planted a gentle kiss on my lips before heading into the bathroom. "I'll be back soon."

As Lucy waited for him and ate, she thought of what she would do now that she and Natsu were together again. The King won't be happy now that Natsu was back and she couldn't bear to send him away; it almost killed the two of them and she refused to let Natsu die on her behalf.

But because she still wasn't Queen, she couldn't change the law and let dragons be free in Fiore. Lucy sighed and leaned back, thinking hard for a solution, but mentally groaning when she couldn't find one.

When Natsu came out, he found his Princess frowning as she dug into a bowl of chocolate pudding topped with fresh raspberries. "What's wrong, Luce?" he asked softly, picking up a glass of orange juice and gulping it down.

"I don't know what to do now. Father won't be happy that you've come back and that we're together again and if he threatens to kill you again, I can't send you away again," she said in a worried voice.

Natsu's heart burned as his heart gave a spasm of pain and he put the empty glass down to pull Lucy tightly to him. "Promise me you won't do something like that again," he whispered heartbreakingly into her neck. "Please… I won't survive if you do it again."

Lucy put her arms around him, still holding onto her pudding and murmured. "I won't, Natsu. I'll never do that ever again. I promise."

A few seconds later, Natsu pulled away and took her pudding and set it on the table. "You promise?" he murmured, a strange look in his eyes.

"I promise." Lucy gasped as Natsu suddenly picked her up bridal style and carried her to the bed and laying her down gently before laying down next to her and holding her close.

"Good, because I refuse to lose you again. You're my mate, Lucy. If you're not with me, I'd rather die than be alone," Natsu said, his eyes boring into hers.

She kissed him gently on the lips and sighed. "But what do we do?"

Natsu was silent for a moment, then murmured, "You could run away to Fairy Tail."

"But Father will know where to find me as soon as I'm gone!" she protested immediately.

"Didn't you say you always wanted to be free?" Natsu asked me. "Besides, you said yourself that you've always wanted to meet Wendy and Erza and Icicle Breath and the others. Why not now?"

"Now…," Lucy mused, staring up at the ceiling. "Now I want to sleep. I'm tired. But I promise I'll think of something." She kissed the tip of my nose and sighed, sinking into her pillows as she pulled the sheets over us.

I sighed as well and wrapped my arms around her. "Good night, Luce."

"Good night, Natsu."

* * *

It was Natsu who woke first to the gray predawn light of the next morning with Lucy snoring softly next to him, a piece of her hair fluttering every time she breathed out. He smiled gently and tucked the strand behind her ear and looked up to see King Jude Heartfilia standing over their bed with an unreadable expression on his face.

Before Natsu could leap up and attack him, the King put a finger to his lips and beckoned to the door before leaving. Curious, Natsu gently extricated himself from Lucy's arms and followed the King, closing the door after him.

King Jude was waiting for him in the hallway and he led Natsu down several corridors until they arrived at a pair of double doors, which he unlocked with a small golden key around his neck. "This is a place that I have never shown Lucy since Layla died."

He pushed open the door and into a dark, musty room. Dust motes swirled in front of Natsu's face and up his nose and he coughed and sneezed. "What is this place?"

Jude simply gestured for him to go inside and after Natsu did, he closed the door after them, but didn't lock it. Something moved and Natsu blinked as heavy drapes flew open to reveal the brightening sky. On the other side of the room, the drapes were also pushed back from the window and Natsu found himself in a large circular room, presumably in one of the towers with tall windows. Scattered about the room…

"These are paintings of Layla," Jude said softly, standing by one of the windows. "she used to love this room and would spend hours in here reading or doing whatever she liked. It was her own private retreat."

Natsu didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say.

Jude continued. "After Lucy died, I had everything of Layla's taken here." He began to walk around, touching everything with gentle care. His fingers brushed over a painting of Queen Layla with a one year old Princess Lucy, a large wardrobe that presumably held the late queens personal garments, a dusty glass case with an elegant crown resting on a velvet cushion with several beautiful pieces of jewelry inside. "And after I did, it was as if I locked away my heart. I didn't know how to treat my daughter anymore, nor could I make her happy. I began to bury myself in the matters of the kingdom, sparing no time at all for Lucy."

He took a deep breath. "Layla… was killed by a dragon."

Natsu's mouth dropped open. "A dragon? But that's impossible! There aren't that many dragons left because of your law."

"It was because the dragons killed Layla that I passed the law. I was heartbroken, and I wanted retribution. Killing the dragons would be a waste of men and resources so I decided to banish them." He sighed. "I never told Lucy the real reason her mother died, but one day, I'll tell her why I made her suffer for all those years of pain."

Once again, Natsu couldn't find the right words to say and merely watched him as the first beams of light shot into the room through one dusty window. It lit upon the crown in the glass case and made the diamonds and rubies sparkle and shine like they haven't done so in over ten years.

Jude eventually broke the silence once again. "You are an interesting young man, Natsu Dragneel, or should I say, dragon?" He chuckled a little. "I've done a great number of thinking over the past month, and you made me realize my rash decisions. I should have been more attentive to Lucy, should have done a great many more things." He sighed. "I have decided… to lift the law on dragons and I will allow you and Lucy to be together."

A delighted grin broke across Natsu's face, but before he could speak, Jude broke in, "However, I hope you do not take her away forever. She is still the only Heir to the throne and I will need her to rule after I'm gone." A faint smile lingered on his lips. "I daresay she'll make an even better Queen than her mother was."

"I won't take Luce away from you, but I would like to take her to Fairy Tail. She's wanted to meet them for a while. If… that's ok with you." Natsu spoke with respect and care, something he rarely did, but Jude didn't seem to notice.

"She may go today if she wishes." For the first time in ten years, King Jude Heartfilia smiled with real joy. "I hope she will be happier now. It's clear she loves you, and I hope you will love her with everything you have."

"Aye, sir!" the young man said with a salute. "I'll take care of her."

The King nodded with acceptance. "You may go to her."

As soon as the doors clicked shut after the running boy, Jude turned to the largest painting in the room: a portrait of the Royal Family, with Layla sitting in an ornate chair, Jude himself with a hand on its back, and baby Lucy cooing on Layla's arms, swathed in a purple blanket with one pudgy hand reaching out to play with her mother's hanging locks of golden hair. He remembered it was Reedus, the most renowned artist in the country, who painted this portrait a week after Lucy's birth.

"Layla… it's been ten years since I have stepped into this room." Jude paused, watching the sun touch upon the painting, alighting on the late Queen's beautiful face. "I wonder if you were angry with what I have done. After all, Igneel was a dear friend of yours and his son has fallen in love with our daughter. Would you have forgiven me for all I have done over the past ten years?"

There was no sound, but suddenly, it felt as if a warm hand had touched his. Jude spun around, eyes searching the room, but there was no one and he relaxed.

"Thank you, Layla."

* * *

"Natsu, are you sure they'll like me?" Lucy asked anxiously, smoothing out her white sundress for the thousandth time. She dressed extraordinarily pretty today, with her knee- length dress held up by two thin white straps, white flower embroidery in a thick band around the hem and a little strip on the top of the bodice, leaving the rest of it bare. She wore white sandals with little white flowers attached to it and a wide-brimmed hat sat on her head, a pink ribbon serving as a hatband with the bowknot on the back and the ends of it reaching down

"Of course, Luce. You're my mate!" Natsu said, grinning as he pulled her through the forest. It was a stunning place and Lucy felt herself relaxing the more she walked through the tall trees.

"That doesn't really answer anything," she muttered and looked up as a pair of blue butterflies fluttered around her head. "How pretty!" she exclaimed.

Natsu looked at her as she danced around, reaching up to the butterflies and he found himself smiling, his heart warm. "Come on," he said, reaching to her. "We need to get there and back before dark."

Lucy nodded and they resumed their trek. After an hour, they finally reached a large wooden building with the words "Fairy Tail" over it with a mark that Lucy has seen on Natsu's shoulder many times. With a grin at Lucy, Natsu kicked open the doors, roaring, "I'M HOME!"

The inside of the guild was chock-full with mages. Many were drinking and conversing. Some were staring at a board full of papers. Several were passed out. All of them were looking like they were having a great time.

And as Natsu bellowed out his greeting, they all looked towards the door and saw Lucy, standing nervously in the entrance. "This is my mate, Lucy," Natsu said happily, taking her hand gently and leading her inside. "So hands off and get your own!" he growled at the men in the guild.

A half-naked man with black hair sauntered up to them. "Pleasure to meet you, Princess." He bowed slightly, a smile on his face before reaching for her hand.

Natsu snarled and jerked Lucy back. "I said hands off, stripper."

"You wanna fight, Flame Brain?"

"Bring it, Snow Cone!"

The two men began to fight in front of her as Lucy squeaked with surprise and hopped back from them.

"Princess Lucy," a beautiful redheaded woman in armor said, approaching her .

"Y-Yes?"

The woman's deep brown eyes scrutinized her before she said, "Do not pain Natsu like what you have done last month anymore, or you will face mine and Fairy  
Tail's wrath a hundredfold."

"H-Hai!"

And with that, the woman smiled and pulled her in for a hug, slamming the poor girl's head on her breastplate. "Welcome to Fairy Tail, Princess Lucy."

"Please just call me Lucy," she gasped, her head throbbing. "And it's nice to be here. You are…?"

"Erza Scarlet, Lucy," Erza said, letting her go. "Now come inside, everyone wants to meet you."

Natsu came running up, then, bruised and slightly bloody but still grinning as happily as he had five minutes ago. "Come on, Luce! There's nothing to be scared of."

She smiled. "Yeah," and let herself be pulled into her new life.

* * *

**I'll be writing an epilogue soon, but I don't know when. Also, check out my epilogue for I'll Be There. I was disappointed by the lack of feedback for it, so... pretty please? :3**


	2. Chapter 2

**Epilogue**

"Hey Papa!" a little pink haired girl said, running up to a tall man standing in front of a pair of ornate double doors. "I made you a rice ball." She held it up, presenting a happy face constructed of seaweed strips haphazardly placed on the little mound.

"It looks delicious, Nashi," Natsu said truthfully, taking the ball. "You don't mind if Papa eats it, right?"

Princess Nashi Layla Dragneel giggled and shook her head. "I made more in the kitchen with Virgo. Aries and Loke helped. Will you eat them, Papa?"

"I will, princess," Natsu promised. "Mama will come soon too, ok?"

"Ok! And I made rice balls for Mama too! You can't eat them, Papa!"

"I'll remember." Natsu put the rice ball in his mouth and chewed. "It's delicious! Can I have more?"

"Ok, Papa! I'll go get some!" The little six year old dashed down the hall, yelling, "Don't move!"

"I won't!" Natsu smiled after the retreating figure of his daughter and pushed open the door. "Lucy?"

The beautiful woman turned, careful not to overexert herself, as to not jostle her giant belly. "Natsu!" She smiled and closed the book she was reading. "I was going to plan the new baby's room, but I ended up reading instead.

"You should relax more," Natsu said, going over to sit next to his very pregnant Queen, one hand going to rest on her stomach. "This baby's going to be born any day now so don't go running around. I need to be able to reach you in time if anything happens."

"I'll be fine. Erza, Levy, and the girls are always with me. You know they'll come to you if anything happens."

"I don't see them anywhere right now," Natsu said, looking around the large room that was soon to be their future child's bedroom. It was close to their own room and almost right across from Nashi's, convenient for them to check on their children whenever they wanted.

"They were getting me some food. Capricorn told me Nashi was making rice balls so the girls went to get me some." Lucy put the book on the table next to her and relaxed into her husband's arms. "Some of the advisors tried to talk to me about important matters, but the girls scared them away. None of them came close after that."

"I would've scared them away for you," Natsu said, pouting childishly.

Lucy grinned. "And what if they started bothering you next, Prince Consort?" she teased, using Natsu's official title in court.

"I'll beat them up," Natsu replied, grinning. The smile faded from Lucy's face and she slapped the back of his head. "Ow! Luce, what was that for?!"

"You can't beat them up, how many times to I have to tell you that?" Lucy snapped. "You—" She gasped, her eyes widening.

"Luce?" Natsu asked. "Lucy, what's going on?" Then he noticed the growing puddle of water under his feet and his eyes widened as well. "Luce!"

She began to shake as the first contractions began to hit. "Natsu!" she whimpered.

"Hold on, Luce!" He stood and ran to the door, bellowing, "ERZA! WENDY! LEVY! LUCY NEEDS HELP!"

The girls and Juvia, Lisanna, and Mira appeared at the door a few seconds later, panting. "What's wrong?" Lisanna snapped. She saw the puddle of water and the trembling Queen and her eyes widened. "Oh no…"

Erza leapt into action. "Natsu, carry Lucy to the bedroom. Levy, get the healers. Wendy and Mira, you help Lucy. Lisanna, inform the former King. Juvia, tell the rest of Fairy Tail. Cana, tell Nashi and the others what happened. I'll stay with Lucy. Everyone, move!"

"HAI!" they all cried and separated.

* * *

A few hours later, Lucy was crying and holding onto Natsu's hand as she struggled to give birth. Princess Nashi, Loke and the other servants, former King Jude Heartfilia, and several mages from Fairy Tail were waiting outside of the Queen's bedroom, nervously praying for a successful birth. Erza, Mira, Levy, and Wendy were inside with three of the palace's healers, soothing Lucy as she cried out in pain.

Princess Nashi was especially distraught. There were tears in her eyes as she clung to her grandfather and each time her mother screamed, she buried her face in his coat, sobbing. "Mama!" she called.

"Your Mama will be alright," Jude said to the young princess. "If you want, I can take you out to the garden."

Nashi shook her head. "No. I wanna be with Mama and Papa."

"And your baby brother," he reminded her.

She perked up slightly. "I have a brother?"

Jude smiled and shrugged. "Who knows?"

Nashi thought a minute, then said, "I want a brother."

"We'll see in a little bit, Princess," Jude said, kissing his granddaughter's cheek. She giggled and swatted at his gray beard. "It tickles!"

"I hope it's a boy too," Lisanna said, smiling. "Natsu will definitely name him Igneel."

The others began to suggest names until Gajeel, leaning by the wall, said, "Who cares? As long as the brat and Bunny Girl are okay then that's good."

"Lucy's going to be alright as long as Wendy and Natsu are there," Bisca said from where she sat next to her husband Alzack with their child Asuka between them. The little girl and Nashi have become good friends and often played together either in Fairy Tail or the palace.

Another scream sounded and everyone flinched. Nashi hugged Jude once again. The door opened and Levy came out, exhausted. Several rose up to inquire about Lucy, but the girl merely said, "She's fine. The baby will be coming very soon." There as another scream, but this time it was louder than the rest and much more urgent. Levy darted back into the room.

A few tense minutes later, there came a baby's cry and everyone waiting for the past few hours cheered despite their stiffness and exhaustion.

A while later, Erza came out bearing a small bundle in her arms. Everyone crowded to see and Nashi got an especial view from within her grandfather's arms as she peered down.

The baby was pudgy and round, with a shock of strawberry blond hair on top of his head. "This is Prince Igneel Jude Dragneel," Erza announced with a smile.

A little dazedly, Jude set his granddaughter on the ground and held out his arms. "May I?" Erza gave baby Igneel to him and he held his grandson as tenderly as he held Nashi when she was born. He gazed down, smiling, his beard nearly tickling Igneel's face. "He'll be a handsome man when he grows up. All the ladies will be after him," Jude chuckled.

Nashi pouted a little. "I wanna hold him." Jude passed her brother to her and she hefted him up in her skinny arms and looked down, frowning slightly. "He's fat," was all she said before she ran into the bedroom, still holding Igneel.

Jude followed as Levy, Mira, Wendy, and the healers passed by with a respectful bow in his direction. "Not so fast, Nashi!" he called.

Lucy was lying among sweaty sheets when they came in, a thin blanket covering her as she lightly napped, exhausted after her ordeal. Natsu sat on the bed next to her, stroking her hair. "Nashi, Jude," he greeted, his eyes tired but his grin as wide as ever. "Where's Igneel?"

"Here, Papa," Nashi said, holding up the still-sleeping baby. "Why is he so fat?"

"I'm not sure, sweetheart," Natsu said as he gazed down at his son, an amazed look in his eyes. "He has weird hair," was all he said after a while.

Jude sighed. "Will people ever stop saying negative things about my grandson? He's not fat, he's just a large and healthy baby, and his hair is strawberry blonde, a mixture of red and blond."

"Oh. Well, that fits," Natsu said cheerily. He turned to Lucy and said softly, "Lucy, wake up. Take a look at Igneel."

Lucy opened her tired eyes. "Give me." Natsu put their son into her arms and she gazed down, a smile breaking across her face. "He's beautiful," she whispered in a voice hoarse from screaming.

Jude sat on her other side as Nashi hopped onto the bed and crawled to her father, who held her. The Royal Family cooed over the new baby as Fairy Tail and the servants watched from the doorway and smiled.

Suddenly there was a roar from outside and Natsu sighed a little but stood, throwing open the window and bellowing, "DAD! YOU'RE GOING TO WAKE UP BABY IGNEEL!"

As if on cue, Igneel the human woke and began to cry, but hushed as Lucy rocked him softly. His eyes opened and they saw that he had his father's eyes as Nashi has her mother's.

Igneel the Fire Dragon snorted as he settled himself on the lawn below his son. "I still don't understand human customs," he grumbled. "Why name your son after me? I'm not dead yet."

"They named him after me too," Jude said, joining Natsu at the window. "And I'm still alive and kicking."

"Grandpa Igneel!" Nashi squealed and joined her father and human grandfather at the window as well. "Grandpa, give me a ride!"

Igneel huffed and groaned about how old he was to be flying when he could be sleeping, but he still lifted his head enough for Nashi to clamber safely onto his snout and settle on his head. "I'll be back, Mama!" the little girl called out. "I'll bring Igneel next time!"

"Be safe!" Lucy called and the last she heard of her daughter was her squeals and giggles as Igneel flew off into the sky.

Fairy Tail and the rest of her friends came in then and began fawning over the baby, each wanting to hold him every time he cooed or screamed with delight. Lucy watched Igneel as he was passed around and smiled, holding Natsu's hand in hers.

"I love you, Luce," he whispered in her ear.

"I love you too," she whispered back, feeling incredibly content. She had two healthy children, a husband who would always stay by her side until the day they each drew their last breaths, two grandfathers who would take care and teach their children like they taught Natsu and Lucy, and a loving family found in Fairy Tail and in the palace.

Life would always be delightful and happy for them. The kingdom was flourishing under Lucy's reign and one day Nashi would be as good of a Queen as Lucy herself is, or Igneel would be an excellent King like Jude used to be before he retired.

In the meantime, Lucy merely sighed and relaxed into her pillows, shutting her eyes for another nap as Natsu resumed stroking her hair. There would be plenty of time to think about the future tomorrow, but right now she'll just take a nap and relax.

* * *

**So what do you think? I didn't know if I should've named Lucy and Natsu's son Igneel since in this epilogue the original Igneel was still alive, but I thought oh what the heck, just go for it and I did :D lol Review if you likey! :3**


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